A Not So Good-Bye
by Welcome2MyMind
Summary: A Steve Jinks/Liam Napier story. Warehouse 13 AU. After some help from a US Marshal, Steve suggests that a new team member be brought to the warehouse. Work in progress. (This doesn't follow the storyline of season 4 since I wanted my own take on things)
1. Chapter 1

Steve Jinks thought it was over. With the help of his ex, Liam Napier, Jinks, Pete, and Myka were able to snag an artifact and take it back to the warehouse. Liam had promised he'd keep Steve's secret about the artifact stuff. They had made peace with each other and that was supposed to be it. Steve would go back to the warehouse and do his job and Liam would do his job as US Marshal.

Instead, Liam had asked him out for coffee before Steve headed back to South Dakota. Claudia was having her twenty-first birthday tonight and Steve didn't want to miss it, so he had tried to decline. But, once Pete and Myka found out that Liam had offered, they told him to go ahead. They would go on ahead and meet him there. He wanted to protest further, but he couldn't deny the fact that he enjoyed spending more time with Liam after so long. After all, Steve had once thought of Liam as his "One."

So, Steve went out for coffee. They talked, mostly about nothing, but it was nice, nonetheless. Steve was taken by surprise by Liam's casual offer to head back to his place for a while. Steve mentioned that he had something to attend tonight, but Liam told him he'd have plenty of time to get back. And since Steve wasn't inclined on rejecting Liam's offer, he knew he'd get back in time. He might be a little late, but Claudia would understand. And hopefully he would get back before Artie gave Claudia that mystery surprise he was keeping from everybody.

Steve followed Liam into his apartment, feeling nervous. He took a few deep breaths as Liam turned on some lights and went into the kitchen to get some drinks. Steve didn't mention the fact that they had just come from coffee. Liam was really doing his best to make sure things were fine between them before they parted ways for-probably-the last time.

And that saddened Steve. They had broken up and lived separate lives now. Not to mention that Steve's job was kept highly secret. But, Steve loved Liam and probably still did but knew he shouldn't explore those feelings. If they decided to take up where they left off...

NO. Steve shouldn't even consider that. Liam's life would be in danger. Even if he was perfectly capable of handling himself. But...

Steve was pulled out of his wonderings as Liam came back with two bottles of beer. He held one out to Steve, a smile on his face. "How about a farewell toast?" he asked, lifting his bottle as Steve took the other one.

Steve opened his bottle, his eyes focused on it instead of Liam. "Yeah," he muttered with a slight nod of his head.

Liam lowered his bottle. "You're not going to make this easy," he said.

Steve looked at Liam. "What?"

Liam hesitated for a moment. He looked at his bottle for a moment then took a swig and set it down on a shelf nearby. Steve could already feel his pulse quicken and nothing had even happened yet. He didn't even move when Liam's eyes focused back on him. Sure, they had been alone together since their reunion, but never in this intimate a way.

"You've gotta know why I asked you here, Jinksy," Liam said. The nickname sounded a lot different coming out of his mouth than Claudia's. And it, of course, made Steve react in a completely different way than any time Claudia had said it. "And you can't tell me you don't want-"

"Do you?" Steve asked, searching Liam's eyes. Being the human lie detector, he would know whether or not Liam was sincere with this offer. There was no reason he wouldn't be since he was the one that invited Steve here.

Liam smiled. "You already know the answer to that," he said. "It's obvious anyway." He stepped toward Steve, taking the bottle out of his hand and setting it on the shelf next to his own. "And since you're not leaving..."

"Might as well make the good-bye worthwhile," Steve said, noticing something in Liam's expression when he said this. He didn't ask about it, hoping Liam would come clean on his own. If not, oh well. They would get back to their lives.

Liam's hands moved up and unzipped Steve's jacket. Steve looked down, his eyes on Liam's strong hands. Liam stepped even closer as he pushed the jacket off of Steve. When Steve lifted his gaze, their faces were mere inches apart. Their eyes met...

Then their lips crashed together. Steve ran his fingers through Liam's dark hair as Liam grabbed him and backed him up against the wall, pinning him there, locked in a passionate, fiery kiss. A kiss that sent warm feelings through every inch of Steve's body. The sparks he had felt when they had been together returned as Liam's body covered his own. Steve had forgotten how buff Liam was. Why he was holding back ripping those clothes off of Liam's body...

Liam broke the kiss, both breathing heavily. "Bedroom?" he asked, out of breath. Steve merely nodded and they continued their kiss the second they stepped into the bedroom. Neither of them bothered with turning on the light to see as they stumbled about, tugging at each other's clothing but unable to get anything accomplished.

With the back of Steve's legs pressed against the bed, they stopped and the kiss was broken once more. Steve watched as Liam pulled his shirt up over his head then pulled Steve's off. Steve's hands traveled over Liam's chest, kissing him once again as Liam worked at Steve's belt.

After a moment, Steve pushed away and rid himself of his pants on his own. He took off his shoes and socks then Liam pushed him back onto the bed, joining him. Both were only clad in their underwear, but their passion was evident at their tented front. As their bodies pressed together even more intimately, Steve let out a small moan, which got a grin out of Liam.

"Can't tell you how much I've missed that," Liam said, hovering over Steve and staring into his eyes.

"I think we've both missed a lot more than just that," Steve said, earning a wider grin from Liam. He was usually the shy one, but around Liam...his mouth wasn't his own.

Steve closed his eyes as Liam's lips traveled down his neck, chest, stomach, and even further, pausing at the waistband of his underwear. Steve shifted nervously in preparation then lifted his hips as Liam took hold of his underwear and pulled down, ridding him completely of any clothing. He should be used to being naked in front of Liam, but he could feel himself shaking with nervousness. His eyes snapped open when Liam didn't waste any time in taking Steve's cock into his mouth. Steve had already thought he was at his peak, but Liam managed to add more length to Steve's growing erection.

Liam moaned around him as he deep throated Steve. Holding back a cry, Steve gripped the bedsheets as he squirmed beneath Liam, completely under his ex's spell once again. Steve desperately wanted Liam to do with him as he pleased.

Before he could cum, Liam released Steve's cock and rose to his feet. Steve watched with impatient desire as Liam finished undressing himself. Liam grinned when Steve's eyes were practically magnetized to his groin. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed some lube, squirting some onto his fingers before moving between Steve's legs. Steve was slightly unprepared for the intrusion but welcomed it, letting out a louder moan as Liam hit that special place inside him over and over again as he prepared him.

Then Liam's fingers were gone. Steve rolled over as Liam joined him on the bed. Liam's hands explored Steve's back and ass before, pressing his body close once more. Their fingers intertwined as Liam thrusted himself inside Steve. Breathing heavily through another moan, Steve was grateful for Liam's slow movements at first. But soon he couldn't get enough and whispered for Liam to MOVE.

Liam did so, both moaning and groaning in passion. Liam's lips brushed Steve's neck as he moved, thrusting even deeper inside Steve as Steve lifted his hips slightly to take him in deeper. It wasn't too long before Liam flipped him over and thrusted back inside him, their lips crashing together once more.

Steve couldn't remember how it had been the last time they had been together like this, but this outshone any other time. And Steve knew that he DID, in fact, still love Liam. And he didn't want to let him go again.

Clearly, Liam was thinking along the same lines. "Let's not say good-bye," he whispered into Steve's ear as Steve was close to reaching a finish. He stroked Steve's cock in time with his thrusts. "I said I'd keep it a secret-"

"Let's not talk about this now," Steve said, wrapping himself around Liam as they fucked. They kissed, tongues in each others mouths. He moaned out Liam's name in ecstasy as he was brought to a finish. Liam wasn't too far behind. They came together then collapsed onto the bed in each others arms.

"I love you," Liam said, looking at Steve and not letting the subject go. "I can be some help-"

"I'll talk to Artie," Steve said since he could no longer deny the fact that he wanted the same thing. He looked at Liam. "I want you to be part of the team." He smiled when Liam's face lit up with a smile.

They kissed then Steve had to go to catch Claudia's birthday party, promising Liam that he would do everything he could to make this happen. 


	2. Chapter 2

Steve showed up at the party a little bit late, but he could already see that Claudia was having a good time, so maybe she hadn't noticed his absence completely. He knew better than to think that since they were best friends. And due to that fact, he knew that she would ask about Liam. And what was he to say? He didn't want to bring up anything until he got to talk to Artie. And that probably wasn't happening anytime soon since he hadn't spotted Artie yet.

"Jinksy!" Claudia jumped to her feet when she saw him and hurried over to him. "You better not be standing here hiding." She smiled brightly. "Come join the party! And you're just in time. Artie hasn't brought out the 'clown' yet." She had mentioned that she was afraid Artie's surprise would end up being a clown. Something she didn't want on her twenty-first birthday.

"Where is Artie, by the way?" Steve asked. He didn't know why he was nervous around her. Maybe it was just the fact that he wanted Claudia to like Liam, but didn't know how well they would hit it off when they meant. IF they meant, he had to remind himself of that. Bringing another person into the team was a job for the regents, not the agents. But, if Artie could talk to them...

"What's up, Jinksy?" Claudia asked, the smile on her face faltering just a bit. After a moment, the smile returned. "Is this about your ex? How come-"

"I need to talk to Artie," Steve said, cutting her off a bit impatiently. "Do you know where he is."

Claudia seemed a bit offended by his tone of voice but knew that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her in any way. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere," she said. "Is something wrong?"

"Not...exactly," Steve said. He didn't want to mention too much in front of her. She might support him when he talked to Artie, but he didn't want any 'what if's floating around before he brought this out into the open with Artie. "It COULD wait-"

"Claudia!" Artie walked up, grabbing her arm and leading her away from Steve. Steve tried to get Artie's attention, but Artie ignored him. He tagged along as Artie asked Claudia if she was ready for the surprise then made her stand in the middle of the room.

"Artie," Claudia said, trying to get Artie's attention for Steve. "Jinksy wants-"

"It can wait," Artie said, waving the matter off. He then announced that Cherie Currie was there to sing. All thoughts about what Steve wanted was lost for the moment. Claudia hugged Artie excitedly then ran on stage when the singer invited Claudia to sing with her. Steve walked over to join Pete and Myka at the table as Claudia and Cherie sung "Cherry Bomb."

"So..." Myka said, a smile on her face as she leaned toward Steve. "How'd things go with Liam?"

"Fine," Steve said, looking away from her and over and Claudia singing on stage.

"Just fine?" Myka asked. "How fine?"

"I think Jinksy got laid," Pete said with a victory punch to Steve's shoulder.

"Really?" Myka asked, eyes wide with interest. The smile was still on her face.

"Can we please not talk about this?" Steve asked, looking at them both. "Or do you want me to say something to pacify it for now?"

"No, I think we're good," Myka said, leaning away. Even Pete looked uncomfortable.

"Sorry," Steve said. "I've just got a lot on my mind."

"And apparently you don't want to talk to us."

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Artie asked, walking over. Claudia and Cherie Currie were still rocking it out on stage. He sat down at the table with them.

Steve glanced around at all of the people that were enjoying the party. He looked back at Artie. "It's something we need to talk about in private," he said, feeling Pete and Myka's eyes on him.

"Then can it wait?"

"I guess."

"Good," Artie said, standing up once again. "I have to make sure this party remains running smoothly!"

"It's going fine, Artie," Myka said, her good mood back as she watched Artie turn and walk off to go mingle with the crowd. She stood up when Pete invited her to dance and they stepped away from the table.

Steve sat there for a long minute, pulling out his phone when he got a text. Liam asking how things were going. He sat there just staring at the text for a long time, wondering how he was going to bring it up with Artie.

"So his name's Liam?" Claudia asked, making Steve jump as she read over his shoulder. He put the phone away without answering. "Oh, do I get the crucial details into the sex life of Steve Jinks?" She slid into the seat beside him.

Well, if he was going to talk about Liam, it was always better to talk about it with Claudia instead of anyone else. Out of everyone in the warehouse, they were probably the closest. And they had been tight since the start.

"Speak up, Jinksy!" Claudia said, poking him in the side. "What's he like? Myka mentioned a US marshal." She winked at him. "He already sounds sexy."

Steve gave a slight nod of his head. "There's really not much to say," he said, looking at her. "We didn't see eye to eye on things and just broke it off."

Claudia gave a slight pout. "Not that I don't want to know," she said. "But I was talking about present." She smiled at him. "Did sparks fly at the reunion?"

Steve shook his head. "It was probably the most awkward reunion ever," he said with a smile which earned one from her. "But...it was great seeing him again. Sad to say good-bye."

"Come on, Jinksy!" Claudia insisted. "There's gotta be more to it than that!"

"There's not."

"Oh, god, I WISH I was a human lie detector!" Claudia said. "I can't tell if there's something more to this or not. Tell me! Please! Or else I'll go crazy! And we definitely do NOT want that!"

Steve sighed. "Okay, there is one thing," he said, watching as Claudia scooted closer to him in anticipation. "It's what I wanted to talk to Artie about." He paused for a moment. "I want Liam to be a part of the team."

"Excuse me?"

They both turned and saw Artie standing there. Steve got to his feet to explain, hearing Claudia rise behind him, but never got the chance. "Not just anyone can walk into the warehouse," he said. He pointed a finger at Steve. "You should know that!"

"But Artie-"

"Enough!" Artie said. "We're not talking about this again." He turned and walked off.

Steve looked over at Claudia, who shrugged. "Bring it up again in the morning," she said. "I can't exactly guess how something like that'll turn out, but I'm with ya to the end, Jinksy."

"Thanks, Claudia," Steve said, grateful. He also had a pretty good feeling that Pete and Myka might be on his side, also. They knew that Liam had done a pretty good job helping them out. How could they say no?

He needed to prepare himself for tomorrow. 


	3. Chapter 3

Steve walked into the warehouse the next morning a bit nervous and worried. He had texted Liam the night before, letting him know what was going on. Liam hadn't said anything about the fact that this was taking longer than either of them wanted. He probably had a feeling that this was going to be hard for Steve. It was amazing he hadn't suggested he come over here to help.

Of course, that wouldn't help at all.

Claudia was sitting down, strumming her guitar but stood up when he walked in. She set the guitar aside then hurried over to him. "Okay, don't be mad, but there's something I gotta tell you," she said. "I talked to Artie about Liam again-"

"You didn't wait for me?" Steve asked. "Now how am I supposed to convince-"

"Chill, Jinksy!" Claudia said, a slight smirk on her face. She shrugged her shoulders. "True, the talk with Artie didn't go well, but I came up with an idea when we got a ping."

"So Artie went to talk to Pete and Myka?"

Claudia nodded. "He probably just missed you at the B&B," she said. "He said he was going to get Pete and Myka and come right back here. And when they do, that's when you suggest that you and I should also tag along."

"I don't think that's gonna work," Steve said. "Because what if we get another ping-"

"It'll still work," Claudia said. "Because either way, we recruit Liam to help us out. Without Artie's knowledge, of course. And when we snag the artifact, we'll make sure Liam gets the credit."

"How will that work?" Steve asked. "He helped in Arkansas and that didn't gain us anything."

"Other than more time with his ex-boyfriend to make him realize that you two DO belong together," Claudia said. She grinned when Steve rolled his eyes. "Don't be hatin', Jinksy. I'm a hopeless romantic."

Steve opened his mouth to say something then stopped when the door opened and Pete and Myka walked in, followed by Artie. Steve stepped back as they walked by, not confident that this was going to go down the way Claudia wanted it to.

Claudia nudged Steve forward when Artie started talking about the artifact with Pete and Myka. Steve looked at Claudia and shook his head. She gave him a look then gestured toward Artie. Even silent, she was really demanding.

"If you don't I will," she whispered.

Steve glared at her then looked forward. "Artie?"

Artie stopped talking and looked at Steve. "What?" he asked. "If this is about that marshal-"

"Have you thought about it at all?" Steve asked, ignoring the fact that all eyes were on him and Artie.

"It's a no," Artie said then turned back to Pete and Myka to continue.

"I think you SHOULD consider Steve's suggestion, Artie," Myka said, gesturing to Steve. "I mean, after all, Liam promised he'd keep it a secret." She looked at Pete for support then back at Artie. "And what better place to keep that secret than right here?"

"We can't just let anyone into the warehouse," Artie said, repeating what he had told Steve last night. "It's too dangerous."

"Are you afraid he can't be trusted?" Steve asked. He was still hopeful he could talk Artie into this without worrying about the plan Claudia had come up with even though it had been pretty good. "Because I can assure you-"

"Your assurances hold no ground," Artie said, cutting him off with a stern look. "You're only bringing this to attention because of personal feelings. And if I let you have what you want, what's stopping anyone else from using that to demand their own?"

"We wouldn't do that," Myka said as Pete said: "Unless it was for cookies." He shut up quickly when Myka gave him a look.

"This isn't for discussion," Artie said. He handed Myka some paperwork. "Get on a plane and get out of here and do some good!"

"I think I should go with them," Steve said as Pete and Myka headed for the door. They stopped and turned back. "I mean-"

"Sure, go ahead," Artie said. Steve knew he was granting that because of the fact that he didn't want to talk about Liam. Apparently he knew no one would ever let it go. It was better to keep busy so no one had time for discussion.

"What about-" Claudia started then was cut off when Artie said she had inventory to do. "Really, Artie?!" she grumbled as she headed off to do as she was told. The dog that had been laying nearby followed faithfully after her.

Steve turned then followed Pete and Myka out. Neither of them said anything about Liam and he was grateful for that. But, he knew he would have to bring Liam up himself. Especially if he wanted Liam to help them out.

Hopefully he wouldn't be turned down with that. 


	4. Chapter 4

Myka had given Steve a file on the artifact for him to look over when they got on the plane. Nothing really seemed to scream dangerous here, but it WAS an artifact, so there could be major consequences attached to it. No deaths had been reported. Just an overflow of marriage appointments. Pete had commented that it was some type of love artifact. Myka's opinion was that it was some artifact that made people do things without being able to stop it. Both opinions would go under consideration since anything could happen.

Aphrodite or some robot A.I. This was going to be interesting.

Steve looked up from the file when Myka walked over to sit in the empty seat beside him. He closed the file, knowing what was going to be said right now. He wasn't prepared for it, but he would have to go through it sooner or later. And it would be better to do it sooner rather than later to get it all over with. He hadn't called Liam yet and was already missing him a lot. He would do so as soon as they landed. It shouldn't take Liam too long to get to where they were going.

"You're not going to give up, are you?" Myka asked, looking at him.

Steve looked at her. He didn't have to ask to know what she meant. "I don't want to give up," he said. "But, I haven't been making any progress with convincing Artie. And the regents-"

"We're allowed to tell one person about our life," Myka said. "You know, the whole 'One' thing. Just tell Artie that he's your One. Your demands can't be refused after that."

Steve looked down at the file in his hands. He had already considered bringing up the 'One' thing, but didn't know exactly how to go about doing so. But, it shouldn't be any harder than what he had already been trying to do. "You're right," he said with a slight nod of his head. "And Liam's willing to move so..."

"Everything will work out in the end," Myka said with a smile. "You'll see." She patted him on the arm then got up to head back to her seat with Pete a few rows behind Steve.

Steve looked out the window, all thoughts of the case out of his mind for now. He thought about Liam and how he wanted to be with him right now. He loved his job, but having Liam back in his life just made things more complete.

Artie COULDN'T refuse his One.

The plane landed and they got off in West Virginia, driving south thirty miles to a small town where the ping had been located. Even if they didn't know where they were going, Steve would know that they had come to the right place. There was a small church that was overflowing. Several people were standing outside waiting in line. Only a few questions revealed that they were waiting their turn to get married.

"So, I'm guessing we check the church," Pete said as they stepped off to the side away from everyone else. "And see who attended the same services that are standing here right now."

"It might not be the church," Myka said. "This has something to do with weddings. Not everyone gets married in a church. There's chapels and then there's City Hall."

"No chapel here."

"Then we split up," Myka said. "I'll check out the church and you and Steve can head over to City Hall."

"Right," Pete said with a nod. "Keep an eye out for the Goddess of Love." He turned and headed off as Myka rolled her eyes at him. Steve wished her good luck then took off after Pete.

He pulled out his phone as they headed down the street. Pete was using the Farnsworth, asking Artie about love artifacts or just Aphrodite in general. Steve hung back a ways and called Liam, who picked up after the second ring.

"How're things going?" Liam asked.

"Good...for the most part," Steve said. "I'm on a job right now so I haven't had the time to convince-"

"Where are you?"

Steve got the feeling that Liam had just gotten Claudia's idea without even being told. "West Virginia," he said then named the town. "What-"

"I can be there in a few hours."

Steve really couldn't believe this was already happening so fast. "O...kay," he said a bit slowly. Pete had stopped ahead of him and looked back. "I guess I'll see you then."

"And then I get the chance to convince people to have me on their team," Liam said. "Love you. Bye."

"Bye," Steve said then hung up the phone and walked over to Pete. "So, any clue on the artifact?"

"Other than the fact that I was right?" Pete asked. "It IS something to do with Aphrodite. A necklace."

"A necklace?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrows.

Pete nodded his head. "Not worn by the Goddess herself, but someone that THOUGHT she was the Goddess," he said. "It was like in the eighteen hundreds. This woman, Abigail Panton, was crazy, but she had the gift of convincing people that they were in love. After they had already decided to get married."

"So she was a marriage counselor."

"A marriage counselor that did her business from an asylum," Pete said. "So all we have to do is find the necklace and we can be on our way home ASAP."

"Do we know what the necklace looks like?"

Pete hesitated a moment and it was clear that he hadn't even thought about that. "There's always a catch to the simple things in life," he said, sounding annoyed and deeply aggravated.

"Well, let's just hope whoever has the necklace now doesn't leave town with it," Steve said. "They might be running out of lab rats due to all the activity going on down at the church."

"Yeah," Pete said, nodding. "We better move fast. Let's get to City Hall." He started walking again and Steve followed after.

"So, was that Liam on the phone?" Pete asked after a moment of silence.

"Didn't we get enough of these sort of conversations in Arkansas?" Steve asked, remembering how Pete was always bringing up the fact that he was Steve's type because Liam was pretty similar. Steve had said nothing, only wanting it all to stop.

"Well, since you've apparently hadn't got enough of him since then, the conversations will still live on," Pete said. "What's the plan on getting him into the warehouse and part of the team?"

"Convincing Artie," Steve said. "And letting him know I'm allowed to have my 'One.' "

"Ah, yes, the 'One,' " Pete said with a nod of his head. "You'll definitely get some leeway there."

"I'm hoping."

"Is he coming here?"

"Yes," Steve said. "Claudia had this idea that if he helped out with another artifact-"

"You do know there's a chance that we might find the artifact before he even gets here."

"There is that risk," Steve agreed with a bit of annoyance. "But, knowing our job, he'll have plenty of time with getting here."

"And we can always drag our feet," Pete said. "If we find the necklace as soon as possible."

"We've got time."

"And hopefully won't be whammied in the process," Pete said. "I'd like to have a job where being affected by the artifact doesn't even come into the picture."

"Especially here," Steve said, looking around. "The next thing you know, you'd be getting married."

"If I DO get whammied," Pete said, looking at Steve. "Make sure she's hot." 


	5. Chapter 5

Steve and Pete checked things at City Hall, but nothing suspicious showed up. Once they were through there, Pete headed off back to the church to see how Myka was doing. Steve, on the other hand, took the time to drive all the way back to the airport to pick Liam up. His plane would be landing soon and Steve knew it would be better for them both if he was there when Liam arrived.

He hadn't expected to be nervous again, but the feeling just came as he waited in the terminal. He didn't know what was going to happen. He hadn't been with Liam for like a day. He shouldn't be this antsy. Though, he shouldn't be surprised that he was since it was the way he had felt at the start of their relationship so long ago. He welcomed the feeling because things were going so right.

Steve took a deep breath as he watched all of the people get off the plane. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted Liam's smiling face. He smiled then stepped forward as Liam walked over to him. Instead of the awkward handshake of their last reunion, Liam stepped close to him and gave him a quick, warm hug. For now, everything was right in the world.

"I didn't pack for a long stay," Liam said as he grabbed his luggage from the baggage claim. "What are we looking for?"

"Aphrodite's necklace," Steve said, continuing when Liam looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Someone who believed she was Aphrodite. I'll fill you in on the drive there." He turned and headed for the exit with Liam by his side.

It didn't take too long to tell Liam about the case. They didn't have much to go on anyway. They might find the artifact faster with more people, though part of Steve didn't want this to happen too fast. He was still nervous about talking to Artie.

"I know I shouldn't bring it up-" Liam started.

"I'm doing the best I can," Steve said. "But, Artie's being...difficult. As usual. It just takes time."

"We shouldn't have to endure bullshit from-"

"Liam!"

"I'm just saying," Liam said. "I know it has nothing to do with sexuality. But, there's still-"

"I haven't told him you're my One yet," Steve said. For some reason he couldn't look at Liam when he said that. He wasn't ashamed about it. He was just nervous about Liam's reaction to his words.

"I'm touched, really," Liam said. "But what-"

"I'm allowed to have one person in my life that knows everything about me and my job," Steve said. "You promised to keep that secret, but you've BEEN my One."

"Really?"

Steve glanced over at Liam as he drove. "Yeah," he said, watching the smile appear on Liam's face. He looked back forward. "Artie will understand and everything will be okay."

Liam placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. "We'll get through this together," he said, lowering his hand. Steve knew he should have his mind on the case, but he couldn't stop thinking about how much he was wanting Liam's touch right now. Except in a more intimate setting.

They got to town and met up with Pete and Myka outside of the church. The line was gone, making the street look a bit empty now.

"Any progress?" Steve asked, looking at Pete and Myka.

Myka shook her head. "Everyone talked to practically everyone about getting married," she said. "And all of the women inside were wearing necklaces."

"One or two of the men also," Pete said. "No help there."

"Other than the fact that they're getting married, no one has anything in common?" Liam asked.

"Other than the fact that they live in the same town and know each other?" Pete said. "There's gotta be something big we're missing here."

"Did anyone even think to see if there's a marriage counselor here?" Steve asked. They all looked at him. "It's the obvious, after all. Abigail Panton was a persuasive counselor. Should've started there."

"Pete and I will look into that," Myka said. It was clear she was splitting them up in this way to give Steve and Liam more time alone. For the obvious and because of the fact that they might have to eventually say good-bye for real if Artie didn't come around. "You guys ask around and see what you can turn up." She looked at Pete then headed off.

Steve watched them go then looked over at Liam. "So..." he said, feeling a bit awkward. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"How about we find the first couple that got married?" Liam suggested.

"Good idea," Steve said with a nod then headed over to the car to get the file. He got the address of the couple and he and Liam headed over there.

They walked up to the door of the house and Liam knocked then stepped back to stand beside Steve. A moment later the door opened and a woman stood there.

"Lanie Golden?" Steve asked and she nodded. "We just want to ask you a few questions about you and your husband."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh..." Steve looked at Liam for some help since he hadn't really thought this encounter through all of the way.

"A buddy of ours heard about your amazing wedding," Liam said. "And we wondered if you could help us out with this inspiration."

"You'll have to talk to Edward Panton, our wedding planner," Lanie said which sparked an interest in both of them.

"Thanks," Steve said. She nodded then retreated back into her house. He looked at Liam. "Panton?"

"He's gotta be a relative," Liam said. "Makes sense."

Steve nodded. "I'll call Pete," he said, pulling out his phone as he headed away from the house with Liam. "We'll have this guy in no time."

Steve made the call and let Pete and Myka know about Panton. Myka called Claudia to find out where the guy was and hope that he hadn't left town already. Claudia said she would get all the information she could find on him as fast as she could and get back to them.

"So, we're on our own for a while," Pete said once they were all grouped together again.

"We can always ask around about him ourselves," Myka said, throwing Pete a look.

"Claudia's way is easier."

Myka grabbed Pete's arm. "C'mon," she said then headed off, leaving Steve and Liam alone once again.

Steve looked at Liam. "I was kind of expecting we'd be doing more for this case," he said.

Liam smiled. "I just get the feeling that we're being cut out from the case on purpose," he said. "We should head over to the hotel." The suddenness of that took Steve by surprise. "It's getting late. We're most likely not going to get this sorted out in one day."

"We can only hope," Steve said but headed to the hotel to book some rooms for the four of them. He kept Pete and Myka's room key to give to them later as he followed Liam into the other room.

Liam sat down on the bed, case file in hand. "So, if we have the right guy," he said. "What's his motive?"

"He's a wedding planner," Steve said. "It's his job."

"Why does he have the necklace?" Liam asked, looking at Steve.

"All these questions can be answered when we find him," Steve said, expecting a call from Myka pretty soon with the news that Panton had been found. If not Myka then Claudia with more intel.

Liam closed the file and set it aside. "What do we do while we wait?"

Steve shrugged his shoulders then paused as Liam stood up and walked over to him. "I don't think we have time," he said. "Pete and Myka-"

"Pete and Myka have been giving us our space ever since I got here," Liam said. "I've missed you."

Steve opened his mouth to speak then was cut off when Liam kissed him, running his hands up Steve's chest. Slowly, which drove Steve wild. He kissed Liam back, giving in to his desires.

Their lips parted when Steve's phone started ringing. Liam sighed and stepped back as Steve pulled out his phone and answered it.

"Claudia called," Pete said. "We've got him." 


	6. Chapter 6

"Abigail Panton was, like, my great-aunt," Edward Panton said, standing on his front porch. He seemed nervous about the fact that four people were standing there asking him questions. "I don't know anything about her other than the fact that she was some psycho that got locked up for a REALLY long time."

"Being a relative, your family inherited things from her, right?" Myka asked. She and Pete were the ones doing most of the talking. Steve got the feeling that they weren't going to learn anything from Panton. "Like a necklace, maybe?"

Panton shrugged his shoulders. "There was a box full of junk with her name on it," he said. "I don't remember there being a necklace. What do you want exactly?"

"We're researching Abigail Panton," Pete said. "Her life was just one big mystery."

Panton scoffed. "She was crazy," he said. "Killed herself in that asylum."

"How did she die?" Myka asked. Maybe she was thinking that the way she died would somehow play into the affects of the artifact. "Did it have anything to do with her business?"

"Some people say that the first couple that she counseled went back to her a few weeks later and killed her," Panton said. "I don't know if it's true, but you never know. Who wants to be counseled by a crazy person?"

"Well, if you find that necklace, could you call us?" Myka asked, giving him her number.

"What's so important about the necklace?"

"That's classified," Pete said. Going as Secret Service agents, that was a line he could get away with.

Panton looked at Pete then nodded his head and promised that he would. They thanked him then left.

"I think we can call it a day," Pete said after a long yawn.

"We'll go by the Golden's place first thing in the morning," Myka said. "Since they were the first couple-"

"Yeah, yeah, they might decide to off the planner."

Myka looked at Steve. "When did the Goldens get married?" she asked.

"About two and a half weeks," Steve replied.

"Which doesn't give us a lot of time if killing Panton is true," Pete said, hands on hips. He exhaled deeply. "We got time." He turned and headed down the street in the direction of the hotel with the others following behind.

Steve followed Liam into the room, closing the door behind him as Liam turned on the light. He stood there and watched as Liam took off his jacket then walked over to the window and looked outside. Dimly, Steve could hear cars driving back and forth on the street below.

"I don't have to be a part of it."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, walking over to where Liam was standing.

Liam turned to face him. "I'm making you go through all of this trouble when I don't need to," he said. "I don't have to be a part of the team. I just have to be with you. That's really all I'm asking for."

"But, you could help."

"Sure," Liam said with a nod of his head. "And maybe one day-"

"Why can't we make that 'maybe one day' into a reality now?" Steve asked.

"I have a life, too, Steve."

Steve gave a quiet sigh and nodded his head, looking out the window. "I guess giving up your life for this one is a big commitment," he said, looking back at Liam.

Liam gave a half smile. "You're gonna guilt me into it."

"Liam-"

"Hey, you're putting an effort into making this relationship work," Liam said, a genuine smile on his face now. "If anything, you should be pissed at me for bringing this up now."

"I don't want to force you into something you don't think is right at this time," Steve said. "You have a life-"

"But I've also got you back," Liam said. "That should be enough, shouldn't it?"

"There's more to it than just that."

"We'll take it one step at a time," Liam said, stepping closer to Steve. "I'll help here. At the end of this, I'll arrange to move-"

"Move?"

Liam smiled. "They may keep me out of being part of the team, but they can't keep me away from you," he said. "I'll keep a secret. You know I will."

"I think I'm starting to like you."

Liam's smile got wider. "I'm doing everything I can to get that," he said.

Steve smiled back at him then closed the distance between them and kissed him. Liam's hands moved up Steve's chest, running his hands over every inch he could get to. Steve tugged him closer, their bodies pressed together as they moved toward the bed. Liam fell first and Steve toppled down on top of him. Items of clothing were yanked off and tossed to the side as they rolled around on the bed, both fighting for dominance.

"If your phone rings again," Liam said, kissing down Steve's neck. "I'm gonna shoot someone."

Steve wiggled beneath Liam, fumbling with both of their belts. "I'll hand you the gun," he said then their lips mashed together once again. He rolled them over again, sitting up and straddling Liam. He got up only long enough to pull Liam's jeans off of him. After that, it didn't take too long to get rid of the rest of their clothes. Steve quickly rejoined Liam on the bed.

Liam stroked Steve's aching cock as they kissed, getting a moan out of Steve. Liam continued his ministration until Steve was thrusting into his hand, pre-cum leaking out. Steve broke the kiss when Liam removed his hand. Liam just grinned up at him.

"You're gonna make this difficult, aren't you?" Steve asked.

Liam's finger was now at Steve's entrance, sending tingles of pleasure down Steve's spine. "I think 'pleasurable' is a more fitting word," Liam said, slowly pushing his finger inside. He was stroking himself with his other hand.

Steve held himself up and moved his hips, riding Liam's finger. He closed his eyes when Liam added another finger, pushing even deeper inside him. "I think I'm ready," he moaned out.

Liam shook his head. "Not quite," he said, thrusting his fingers in and out of Steve, making Steve squirm in pleasure.

"Now?" Steve asked after a moment. It was driving him wild with how much he wanted Liam inside him right now.

Liam removed his fingers. "If you want," he said.

Steve bent forward and kissed him deeply. He reached between them and together they positioned the head of Liam's cock at Steve's waiting entrance. Steve closed his eyes with a moan as Liam thrusted inside him. Liam placed his hands on Steve's hips to get Steve moving. Steve barely got a rhythm going before Liam rolled them over and took over. Steve didn't fuss. Either way was fine by him.

"Before the night's out," Liam said between thrusts. "You're fucking me."

Steve smiled then pulled Liam to him for another kiss. After a few minutes, he tightened around Liam as he came, followed closely by Liam as his moan joined with Steve's in harmony.

Liam pulled back and presented his backside to Steve almost immediately after. Not even giving Steve time to calm down after that orgasm. But, since they were both still massively hard, he didn't want to wait too long.

Steve got up on his knees behind Liam. He positioned his cock and slowly pushed it then pressed his body against Liam's as he started to move. Slowly at first until Liam was begging for more. They both reached a climax much sooner that time.

They collapsed onto the bed side by side and breathing heavily. Liam smiled at Steve, pressing his body close to Steve's. "I like this new arrangement of ours," he said, his hand resting on Steve's stomach.

"Definitely something I could get used to," Steve said then smiled. Liam rose up and kissed him once more. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Just got my new computer so I've been getting used to that before I can get this updated again. I know it hasn't been all THAT long since my last update, but still... :)**

* * *

Steve woke up to the sun shining in through the window. He grumbled and rolled over, pausing when he found the other side of the bed empty. He stretched his arm out and opened his eyes, finding Liam gone. He gave a small sigh then sat up and looked around. He got out of bed and pulled his pants on then started frantically searching for his phone when he heard it ringing but couldn't find it.

He finally found it and answered it. "Yeah?" he said as he gathered up the rest of his discarded clothes and dropped them on the bed.

"Finally awake, huh?" Myka asked. "Pete and I just wanted to let you guys know that we were going to go ahead and talk to the Goldens and see what else we can find out. And then you guys can focus on Panton and see if you can try asking about the necklace again."

"Okay, sure," Steve said with a slight nod of his head. He checked the bathroom just to make sure that Liam wasn't here and was a bit sad when he found the room empty. "You haven't talked to Liam today?"

"No," Myka said. "Isn't he with you?"

"He probably just went out to pick up something," Steve said, telling himself not to worry. Liam was more than capable of taking care of himself. Except he didn't know what all the artifacts were capable of. "He's probably on his way back now."

"You can try calling him," Myka said. "It's not like he's gonna get in trouble. I mean, he can't do anything better than us right now with what we've got to go on."

"Yeah," Steve said, not too sure he agreed completely with that. "Good luck with the Goldens."

"Thanks," Myka said then hung up.

Steve put the phone down and got dressed, telling himself not to worry about Liam. Once he was dressed, he grabbed his phone and headed out, calling Liam on the way.

Meanwhile...

Liam stepped up to Panton's front door and knocked. He didn't know what he was planning on doing right now, but something about Panton just bothered him. He should have asked Steve about it since he was the human lie detector, but it was too late to do anything about that now. He just had to hope that Steve didn't miss him when he found him gone.

Should've left a note.

The door opened and Panton looked a bit irked at seeing Liam there. "Is there something more?" he asked, sounding more pissed than he looked.

"Yeah, I just wanted to bring up that necklace again," Liam said. "Since it's been like a hundred years or so, I can't help but think that maybe it's not a necklace anymore."

"Okay," Panton said, not sounding like he really wanted to listen to this.

"I saw your watch yesterday-"

"Are you happy?"

Liam was taken aback for a moment. "What?" he asked.

Panton gestured to him, crossing his arms. "You've got someone special," he said. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Observant for a wedding planner."

Panton gave a small smile. "It helps sometimes," he said. He opened the door wider and gestured inside. "Would you like to come in? We can talk."

This had certainly changed fast. Liam just decided that it was beginner's luck. He nodded his head. "All right," he said then stepped inside. Panton patted him on the back on the way and closed the door behind them.

Liam wasn't answering his phone.

Steve cursed under his breath and tried one more time then just put the phone away. He had thought about likely places Liam could be, but nothing came to mind. He wouldn't have gone anywhere without Steve, right?

Then the answer hit him. "Panton," he said then hurried down the street.

He arrived at the house a few minutes later. He started toward the front door, pausing when the door opened and Liam walked out with Panton. "It was great talking with you," Panton was saying.

"Yeah," Liam said with a nod. "Maybe we can talk again sometime?"

Panton smiled. "Certainly," he said. "Glad I can be of help." He waved at Steve then went inside, closing the door.

Steve looked over at Liam. "What the hell?"

"Calm down, Jinksy," Liam said. "Just wanted-"

"Answer your damn phone," Steve said then turned and headed off down the street.

Liam followed after him. "I didn't have my phone on," he said. "Sorry."

Steve started to argue further then caught himself. "What'd you learn from Panton?"

"He's not the guy."

Steve stopped and turned to Liam. "He's not?"

"Believe me, he seemed like the guy," Liam said. "But he's just the wedding planner. He talked about a burglary that happened a few weeks ago. Some of the junk he got from Abigail Panton-"

"And he just conveniently opened up about this?"

"He doesn't like the authorities."

"What are you?"

Liam shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I told him I was thinking about getting married-"

"And that worked?"

"It's a good thing to go with."

Steve sighed then crossed his arms and nodded for Liam to continue.

"Anyway, stuff got stolen and he thinks that the necklace was one of the things," Liam went on. "He didn't know who did it, but all we have to do is find another link with the weddings and we've got our guy."

"Then we'll look into that," Steve said. "We'll go see how Pete and Myka are doing-"

"Why don't we head back to the hotel?" Liam asked, a small grin on his face. "When I saw you asleep this morning, I couldn't stop thinking-"

"We don't have to spend the entire case in bed."

"Why not?" Liam asked. "Pete and Myka are practically doing everything anyway. And you can't tell me you don't want-"

"All right, the last thing I want is to stand here instead of go back to the hotel," Steve said a bit quietly. His words earned a wider grin from Liam. He turned away, but the smile still appeared on his face. "I want to get something done."

"Oh, believe me, we'll get something done," Liam said, grabbing Steve by the shoulders and turning him. "But not here." He started forward, guiding Steve along.

"I can't win with you."

"And you don't want to."

"Damn right," Steve said with a nod.


	8. Chapter 8

Steve stepped inside the hotel room in front of Liam, hearing the door close behind him. He opened his mouth to continue asking why Panton wasn't the guy, but when he turned, Liam was there, capturing his mouth in a kiss. Steve tried to talk around the kiss, but Liam wouldn't let up. Where this had suddenly come from, he didn't know. But he wasn't about to reject it. He had already had a lot of time with Liam already, but they had been apart for far too long and they needed to make up for that.

So, Steve allowed himself to be guided backward toward the bed as Liam focused on the kiss and pulling off every item of clothing Steve had put on barely an hour ago.

* * *

Pete and Myka thanked the Goldens then left the house with nothing new. There didn't seem to be anything strange about the couple's behavior. Everything seemed fine in that household with no thoughts of murdering the wedding planner. So, they went and saw Panton again, only to learn that Liam had already been around today. Panton told them what he had told Liam. That there was a burglary and that Abigail Panton's necklace was probably one of the items that had been taken.

So, until something else came up, they were going to go with that for the time being. And their first step was to head for the police department.

* * *

Both naked, Steve and Liam were locked together, their lips hardly parting. Liam did have a bit of a wild side about him, but Steve had never noticed Liam show so much of a desperate NEED for Steve. Sure, it would have made sense when they had sex in Arkansas, but Liam was now ravaging him as if even more years had passed between them.

Something was starting to nag at him.

* * *

"Panton didn't report any burglary."

Myka looked at Pete as they stood in the chief of police's office. She looked back at the chief. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Because Panton-"

"I don't know what Panton's involved in anymore," the chief said. "You'd be better off if you just left town and forgot about him."

"What do you mean?" Pete asked. He had a really bad feeling about this, knowing either someone was about to get whammied or someone would end up really dead.

"Edward Panton is a fraud," the chief said. "He sells a good story to good people for money. He's convincing and people sometimes throw away their entire life's savings on some damn wedding. Most of the time the marriages don't last a month. A lot of people have left town because of him."

"We'll look into Edward Panton," Myka said. If they had to, they would break into Panton's home and find that necklace on their own. Before someone else got hurt. Physically, emotionally, or financially. Panton was going to pay. "We'll handle it."

"Thank god," the chief said, sounding more than just relieved. "I've been trying to get enough crap on that bastard to bring him in for weeks now."

"You can rest easy, chief," Pete said. "We're on the case." He nodded to Myka then turned and strode out of the office like some superhero. Myka smirked then followed after him.

* * *

"Liam," Steve breathed as Liam thrusted himself inside him. They were both breathing heavily. He arched his back and moved with Liam, clutching the sheets. Liam kissed down his neck then across his chest while he kept up the rhythm of his thrusts. Steve moaned as Liam stroked his cock in time with his movements. Steve was moving his hips against Liam's hand and rock hard cock.

"Oh, Jinksy," Liam whispered, kissing Steve deeply, their tongues clashing together. He started moving harder and deeper, getting Steve to lift his legs more and cry out in pure ecstasy. Seeing Steve like this...it was beautiful. "I love you," he whispered in Steve's ear.

"More than anything," Steve said, clutching Liam and rolling them over. Liam grinned up at him, his hands on Steve's hips as Steve began to ride Liam's dick.

* * *

Pete and Myka headed back to the hotel to find out what more they could of Abigail Panton's necklace. They called Claudia to get her to work on something and she immediately came back with the idea that there was a chance the necklace wasn't a necklace anymore.

"What do you mean?" Pete asked, looking down at Claudia's image on the Farnsworth.

"Alotta years have passed since then," Claudia said as if the reasoning was obvious. "It most likely wasn't the necklace itself that did anything but the ruby."

"Ruby?" Pete asked, eyebrows lifted. "We can probably get some money-OW!" he exclaimed when Myka smacked him. "I wasn't serious."

"Do you have any idea what the ruby could be with now?" Myka asked. "We know it has to be with Panton. He's lied and he's conning people out of their savings."

"And selling stories they believe and get married because of it," Pete said. "That's suspicious right there."

"He's influencing them, but it wears off," Myka said, looking at Pete. "The chief said most of the marriages didn't last a month. Which means-"

"The Goldens weren't the first couple."

"Here, maybe, but who knows where else he's been?"

"I'll dig up what I can on Abigail Panton and get back to you," Claudia said. "In the meantime, be careful. And make sure Steve and Liam-"

"I'm sure they're just fine," Pete said. "Probably talkin' sports and stuff. Or-"

* * *

"Oh, god!" Steve cried out as he climaxed, cradled by Liam as both of them finished off. They stayed there like that for a moment longer then Steve rolled off of Liam, feeling hot and sticky.

"We're happy, aren't we?" Liam asked, looking over at Steve.

Steve smiled, extremely satisfied. "More than happy."

"Great," Liam said then propped up on his elbow next to Steve. "Then you can't say no."

Steve looked over at Liam. "To what?" he asked, the smile slowly leaving his face.

"A marriage proposal."

Steve lay there for a long minute as he let those words sink in. He knew it should be words he wanted to hear, but not here. Not after they just had mindblowing sex.

Not after Liam had just come from talking to Panton.

"Give me a minute," Steve said then jumped out of bed. He cleaned up in the bathroom and hurriedly got dressed then told Liam to wait and dashed out of the room, heading down the hall to Pete and Myka's room. He just had to hope they were there. He pounded on the door.

Myka opened the door. "Steve-?" she asked as he pushed past her and walked into the room. She closed the door. "Everything all right? You look flushed."

Steve wasn't about to mention the fact that he had just gotten through having sex. "Panton's our guy," he said. "From the start he was-"

"We know," Myka said. "We were just looking-"

"What made you think he was the guy?" Pete asked, curiously.

Steve looked at Pete. "I think he used the artifact on Liam."


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm currently working on, like, three other fics right now, but I'm doing my best to keep this one updated on a regular basis. How regular...?IDK Just keep an eye out.**

* * *

Pete and Myka just stood there staring at Steve for a moment as if they either didn't understand or just couldn't comprehend what he had just told them. He wished beyond anything that he was wrong, but even if he was, what could he say to Liam's marriage proposal? They had only rekindled their romance for the last few days. Liam was his One, but was he ready to just jump into that commitment? He loved Liam, yes, but he wasn't ready for that.

And if Liam WAS under the influence of an artifact, Steve's rejection could be fatal.

"Okay," Pete said, breaking the near awkward silence. He gestured to Steve. "You let your boyfriend get whammied?"

Steve noticed Myka just shake her head. "Yes, I thought it'd be fun," he said, sarcastically. He really wasn't in the mood to keep from being rude.

"You don't have to be rude about it."

Steve calmed down a bit. "Sorry," he said. He could already tell that Pete had forgiven him before the apology. "I didn't let him get whammied. I woke up this morning and he was gone. He went and talked to Panton."

"Panton said that when we went by to see him," Myka said. She looked at Pete. "We need to get back over there and find that ruby."

"What ruby?" Steve asked. "I thought it was a necklace."

"We called Claudia and she said there's a chance that the necklace isn't a necklace anymore," Pete said. "The ruby-"

"Let's get over to Panton's then," Steve said then headed for the door.

"What about Liam?" Myka asked.

Steve paused at the door, knowing he would have to do something about Liam. He'd be expecting an answer Steve couldn't give and that would make things worse. He could always avoid Liam, but that would just lead to the same outcome. He looked back at Myka and Pete. "I guess I'll talk to Liam," he said. "And figure out how to say no without it being rude."

"Say no?" Pete asked. "Wait...did he...?" He trailed off, though the question was obvious.

Steve nodded his head. "How else did you think I knew he got hit?" he asked. It came out harsher than he wanted, but didn't get the chance to apologize again.

"We know you're under a lot of stress right now," Myka said. "If you need to, call Claudia before you see Liam again. She might help you out with postponing the answer."

Steve thought that was a pretty good idea. "I might do just that," he said though he didn't think he'd get much help from Claudia. She would only ask about details of his and Liam's relationship. After all, she deserved to know since she was his best friend. "Do something about that artifact quick."

"You can count on us," Pete said.

Steve turned and left the room. He reached in his pocket for his phone, but stopped when he saw Liam standing in the hall at the open door of their room. He pulled his hand out of his pocket. Calling Claudia would have to wait. He walked over and Liam stepped inside the room. Steve followed and closed the door behind him, noticing Pete and Myka heading down the hall toward the elevator. He really wished he was going with them right now.

"You ran outta here pretty fast," Liam said, sitting down on the bed. Steve tried to ignore the fact that Liam was shirtless. He couldn't be thinking arousing thoughts right now. It sounded like he was in trouble. "Everything okay?"

"For the most part," Steve said, stepping away from the door. If he remained by the door, he would only give the impression that he wasn't planning on staying. Standing gave the same impression, but at least he had walked further into the room. "I don't think you'll believe me."

Liam crossed his arms and Steve found himself moving his eyes along Liam's arms and across his chest. "Try me."

Steve got his mind back on track. He walked over and sat down on the other bed in front of Liam. "When you talked to Panton yesterday," he said. "Did he...do anything?"

Liam wasn't following. Steve hadn't expected him to since this was only his second time hunting an artifact. "What do you mean?" he asked. "All he did was tell me about a burglary-"

"Did he do anything to you?"

"He invited me into his house," Liam said. "What is going on?"

"I think you're under the influence of the artifact."

Liam just sat there for a long time then uncrossed his arms, stood up, and stepped away from the beds and Steve. He stayed quiet for a moment longer then turned to Steve. "So, you think the proposal is a fake?" he asked.

Steve stood up and turned to him. "Can you look me in the eye and tell me that this is what you REALLY want?" he asked. He was a human lie detector, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to notice a lie in someone that BELIEVED they were telling the truth because of the artifact.

"Are you telling me you don't want it?"

"I'm asking you-"

"I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't want it."

"Panton talks people into-"

"This has nothing to do with Panton!" Liam said, his voice rising a bit. "Jinksy, I love you. That's my only motivation for bringing up marriage."

"You just wanna rush into this?" Steve asked. He stepped toward Liam. "I know this isn't you. It hasn't been that long since we were going to accept the fact that we were over." He ignored the part where Liam had invited him to his place and told him he didn't want things to be over. Steve had given in because he didn't want things to be over, either. He would have accepted that they were over if Liam hadn't've said anything. "Now, just a few days later, a marriage proposal?"

"We were together before-"

"And we were committed to each other," Steve said. "But we never talked about getting married."

"That's why I'm asking now."

Steve knew that this was just going to turn into an ugly argument. Something that wouldn't help in getting him to stick around in South Dakota. In the Warehouse or not. He gave a slight sigh. "I just need time to think about it," he said.

"Can't you just say no and save me the trouble of-"

"I'm doing the best I can here, Liam."

Liam studied him for a moment and Steve could tell that he was accepting Steve's answer for now. He nodded his head. "Okay, I won't bring it up again until you do," he said, though he didn't sound convincing. "Just...let me down easy, okay?"

"You're really confident about what I'm going to say."

Liam gave a slight grin. He was hurt, but trying not to show it. "Just because you say no now doesn't mean you chase me away," he said. "I'm not giving up on you. Not again." He shook his head.

"I wouldn't want you to."

Liam stepped toward him and gave him a quick kiss that lingered longer than intended then headed into the bathroom for a shower. Steve sat down on the bed then laid back, already exhausted with this case.


	10. Chapter 10

Pete and Myka had gone to Panton's house, but Panton wasn't home. They let themselves into the house and searched the place, but hadn't come up with anything. Which meant that Panton was somewhere with the artifact. Hopefully he hadn't skipped out of town. They then headed down to the church to check things there, seeing that a few more couples were getting married. All of them complimented Panton, but none of them could say where he had gone next.

"He's creating distractions," Pete said as they left the church. "Talking people into getting married just to keep us busy with asking around trying to find him. He's probably long gone by now."

"Not necessarily," Myka said. "His car was still at his house and it didn't look like he had packed anything."

"Which just means he was in an even bigger hurry."

"There HAS to be something more with this," Myka said. "And before something bad happens."

"Yeah, but how are we gonna find him?"

Myka didn't say anything for a moment. She stopped walking and crossed her arms with a sigh. "We'll just have to try and retrace Panton's steps," she said. "Find out if there's a pattern in the couples."

Pete didn't know what they were going to accomplish with that since most of the couples just seemed like they were randomly matched together, but at least it was something to go on. "And if that doesn't turn up anything?" he asked.

"We'll just have to call Artie and see what else we can find out about the artifact and the Pantons."

Steve stepped out of the room while Liam was in the shower and called Claudia. When he told her what happened, he had expected her to help out, instead she got really excited and started planning his and Liam's wedding.

"Claudia, this is serious," Steve said in the middle of her rambling. She was talking fast enough where he couldn't understand a word she was saying. "It could turn out the worst and once this is over, I don't know where we're gonna be."

"Well, he told you he wouldn't give up on you," Claudia said. "Your relationship will be the same as it was before he got whammied. And are you sure he actually DID-"

"Marriage was never even considered until after he talked to Panton," Steve said. "That can't just be a wild coincidence."

"I see your predicament," Claudia said. "And I feel bad for you."

Steve was confused. "Why?"

"You've found your One, the love of your life," Claudia explained. "He doesn't want to get married until some whacko hits him with an artifact and makes him believe-"

"I never said he didn't want it," Steve said. "It was just never brought up."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"I can't talk to him about it now," Steve said. "He's under the influence of an artifact."

"So how do you know for sure whether he wanted it or not?" Claudia asked. "If you love him enough, I think you should just go through with it. Fuck the artifact. Do what you want. Whammied or not, afterwards you'll still have him."

"This isn't the way I thought this talk would be going."

"What'd you expect?"

"Advice."

"For something you can figure out on your own?" Claudia asked. "Should I start questioning your intelligence, Jinksy?"

"If it's not real, how can I treat it like it's real?" Steve asked. "There's a possibility that we get married now and once it's all over, he doesn't want-"

"Bullshit," Claudia said. "You NEED to give me the opportunity to meet this guy, but I can already tell from you that both of you care about each other A LOT. Real or not, this might bring you two even closer when it's all over."

"So it might turn into something real?"

"No might," Claudia said. "Once you tie the knot with your One, it's real."

"Unless an artifact-"

"Will you just stop thinking about the artifact for once?" Claudia asked. "Focus on your feelings for him. You love him, he loves you. Do the math, Jinksy. The answer to your problem is OBVIOUS."

Steve looked back toward the room. "I told him I'd think about it."

"Haven't you put enough thought into it?"

"You're right," Steve said, knowing in his heart what the right thing to do was. Claudia didn't necessarily convince him. He just needed the push in the right direction. "Thanks, Claud."

"Anytime," Claudia said. "But don't get married without me."

Steve smiled. "I wouldn't even think about it," he said. "Bye." He hung up then headed back into the room, seeing Liam was out of the bathroom and dressed. "Got a minute?"

Liam turned to him, his hair still damp. He nodded his head. "Yeah," he said. "What's up?"

"It's about that proposal," Steve said. He opened his mouth to continue then sighed when his phone started ringing. Dammit, Claudia! "Hold that thought." He pulled out his phone and answered it. He didn't have time to say anything.

"Panton's gone," Pete said. "Myka and I are at the church asking around. You think you and Liam could head around town and see what you can find? We're not finding anything here."

"Sure, we can do that," Steve said. "Was the artifact at his house?"

"No, he must have it with him," Pete said. "Easier to find it. We just have to find him."

"That's the difficult part," Steve said. "I'll call you if we find him."

"Same here," Pete said then they hung up.

"How long do I hold that thought?" Liam asked once Steve had put the phone away.

"Panton's gone," Steve said, knowing he shouldn't delay the conversation just in case he changed his mind, but he wanted to find the artifact in a hurry. Mostly to find out whether or not this marriage thing between him and Liam was true. "Can the talk be postponed for a while?"

"Yeah," Liam said. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," Steve said. "Then let's get looking." He turned and left the room with Liam behind him. 


	11. Chapter 11

Steve and Liam headed around town, asking people about Panton anywhere they could. A lot of people hadn't heard of him. Others just told them where he could be found. His house. Which was empty. There hadn't been any sign of Panton anywhere. Steve had called to check in with Pete and Myka, but nothing had turned up there, either.

"We should talk to the Goldens," Liam said.

Steve put his phone away and looked at Liam. "What would that gain us?"

"If they're the ones that'll eventually kill Panton, then it just makes sense to keep an eye on them."

Why hadn't anyone else thought about that? "So, there's a possibility that he's already dead," Steve said. Then another thought hit him. "Or he left town before they'd have the chance to kill him."

Liam gave a slight smile. "You've got an idea going," he said.

"The Goldens were the first ones to get married here," Steve said. "Panton's probably been moving around for a long time. If he knows what the artifact is capable of-"

"Then he'd keep ahead of the people that want him dead," Liam finished, picking up on Steve's line of thought. "But didn't Pete and Myka mention that the chief said the marriages don't last a month?"

Steve hadn't thought about that. He sighed. "Then we're back to square one."

"Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"The chief's in on it."

"Where did that idea come from?"

"Just a hunch," Liam said. "We need to find out how long the chief of police has been here. Then check when the Goldens got married. And how long Panton has been here."

Steve was already pulling out his phone. "Sounds like a job for Claudia," he said, dialing her number. He put it to his ear. He frowned when it just went to voicemail. "That's never happened before."

"Then we find out on our own," Liam said then turned and walked off. Steve hurried after him, putting his phone away.

* * *

"It WAS a good idea," Pete said, following Myka out of the church.

"You don't have to suck up, Pete," Myka said, sounding a bit disappointed in herself for not figuring out what was going on. They had plenty of time before Liam went psycho killer. If that was indeed what happened.

"Time for the last resort then," Pete said, pulling out his Farnsworth and calling Artie.

Artie's face appeared. "What?" he sounded aggravated.

"Are you driving somewhere?" Pete asked, noticing the background. And the fact that Artie's attention was forward instead of on the Farnsworth.

"Doesn't matter," Artie said. "What do you want?"

"Someone's certainly in a bad mood."

"You try spending time with a nagging twenty-one year old."

Pete glanced at Myka, who just rolled her eyes. "Well, we already spend a lot of time with Claudia-"

"Will you just get to the point?"

"Okay," Pete said. "We're gonna need more help with finding the artifact. And Panton since he's gone Houdini on us."

"Claudia's on her way."

"How'd she manage that?"

"Nagging."

"Oh," Pete said with a slight nod. "When do we expect her?"

"Soon," Artie said then was gone.

Pete closed the Farnsworth and looked at Myka. "That could have gone better," he said. "We should really talk to Claudia about her getting on Artie's nerves."

"And do you think she'd listen?"

Before Pete could respond, they both looked forward as a vehicle pulled up. Artie and Claudia got out and walked over to them. Pete just stood there, surprise on his face.

"How did you get here so fast?" Myka asked, looking at them both.

"We were already on the way here," Claudia said. "Where's Steve?"

"Checking around town for Panton."

"Let's go pick them up," Claudia said, getting back into the car.

Pete, Myka, and Artie followed.

* * *

Steve and Liam were heading for the police station when a car pulled up nearby. Before it even came to a complete halt, Claudia got out and headed over to them at a brisk walk, a smile on her face.

"Claudia?" Steve asked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Helping," Claudia said then put her attention on Liam. "You must be Liam." She held her hand out. "I'm Claudia. Your boyfriend's best friend."

"Nice to meet you," Liam said, stepping forward to shake her hand.

"So when's the big day?" Claudia asked, looking at them both.

"Big day?" Steve asked.

Liam looked at Steve. "This what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"You didn't tell him?" Claudia asked, crossing her arms as she looked at Steve.

"More important things have been going on," Steve said, feeling like he had been backed into a corner.

"More important?" Liam asked.

"You know what I mean!"

"What's he doing here?" Artie asked, walking up with Pete and Myka.

Steve looked at Artie. "He was in town?"

"Save it," Artie said, no longer caring. "What have you got on the artifact?"

"Nothing," Pete said.

"Liam had a hunch," Steve said. This was the best chance to put Liam in a good light with Artie. "A really good hunch."

Artie didn't seem like he wanted to listen, but looked at Liam. "What is it?"

"Panton and the police chief are working together," Liam said then went on when everyone looked like they wanted an explanation. "The Goldens were the first ones to get married here and it hadn't been that long ago. Yet, the police chief said that the marriages didn't even last a month. What we were planning on doing was to find out how long Panton had been in town and how long the chief had been here."

The look on Artie's face said he was definitely considering that. Good sign. "Then let's look into that," he said, turning to head back toward the car.

"Artie?" Myka said, turning to him.

Artie stopped and looked at her. "What?" he asked. Myka merely nodded toward Liam. He looked at Liam. "Yeah, good job." He turned and got in the car.

Claudia looked at Steve with a grin. "One step closer," she said then started toward the car with Pete and Myka.

Liam grabbed Steve's arm before he could walk over to the car. "I think there's something you need to tell me," he said.

Steve looked at Liam. "Now?"

"Can you think of a better time?"

"Yeah," Steve said, nodding. "When all of this is over."

"And when I'm no longer under the influence of the artifact?" Liam asked. "So you don't have to worry about the marriage thing?"

"Liam-"

"Are you trying to stall?"

"Of course I'm not trying to stall," Steve said. Artie honked the horn to get them to hurry up. "It's just..." He trailed off.

"You don't want it?"

"Liam-"

Liam let go of his arm. "I guess I shouldn't be too disappointed," he said. "It's not like you're breaking up with me again."

"I want to go through with it."

"Breaking up with me?"

"The marriage thing."

Liam was shocked into silence. Steve just smiled. Liam shook himself out of his daze. "You really mean it?" he asked.

"If you do."

"Guess we'll find out when this is all over, huh?"

"Let's hope it's soon," Steve said then turned and got into the car.


End file.
